The Vatican declared on Tuesday that the Virgin Mary should not be referred to as the “co-redeemer” of humanity, stating that while she played a vital role in the life of Jesus, she did not share in his act of redemption.
In a new doctrinal decree approved by Pope Leo, the Vatican’s top theological office instructed the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics to avoid using the title “co-redemptrix,” warning that it could “create confusion and imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith.”
Catholic doctrine teaches that Jesus Christ alone redeemed humanity through his crucifixion and resurrection. However, for centuries, some theologians have debated whether Mary’s consent to bear Jesus and her presence at the Crucifixion gave her a participatory role in salvation.
The decree emphasizes that Mary’s contribution was unique but not equal to that of Christ. By giving birth to Jesus, she “opened the gates of the Redemption that all humanity had awaited,” the document says, reaffirming her status as an intercessor rather than a redeemer.
Previous popes have taken differing positions on the matter. Pope Francis, who died in April, strongly opposed the title, describing the notion of Mary as a co-redeemer as “foolishness” in 2019, saying, “She never wanted to take anything for herself from her son.” His predecessor, Benedict XVI, shared that view. Pope John Paul II, however, expressed support for the title earlier in his papacy but stopped using it publicly after the Vatican’s doctrinal office raised concerns in the 1990s.
The Vatican’s statement reinforces long-standing theological teaching that while Mary holds a central place in salvation history, only Jesus is the redeemer of humankind.
